The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act passed on 15th May 2024. This is an effort to increase price transparency for consumers, just of one of several recent efforts to curb unfair practices in the ticketing industry. Key changes include:
- A requirement for ticket sellers for major events to display the full price of a ticket upfront, including all fees.
- Banning the practice of “speculative ticketing,” in which ticket resellers sell a ticket that they have yet to purchase themselves.
- Mandates guaranteed refunds for event cancellations or postponements, and prohibits the use of deceptive URLs that are used to rip off consumers through fraudulent ticketing sites.
Here is a summary of some things ticket sellers and buyers need to know about this new law. You can see at the end some examples of how our software's features can help you ensure you are compliant with the updated requirements.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not legal advice. Consult a legal professional for guidance. Use of our software does not guarantee compliance with any laws or regulations.
—---------------
For Event Hosts (Ticket Sellers):
- Upfront Pricing: You must display the total price of an event ticket, inclusive of all fees, right from the start. No more surprise charges at checkout (National Independent Venue Association) (United States Congresswoman Debbie Lesko).
- Clear Disclosures: Ensure all ticket listings provide clear and accurate information. Deceptive URLs and speculative ticketing (selling tickets that don't exist) are banned. Make sure all ticket listings reflect actual availability (National Independent Venue Association).
- Refund Guarantees: You must offer refunds for event cancellations or postponements. This ensures customers are protected and can trust that their money is safe in case of changes (National Independent Venue Association).
For Attendees (Ticket Buyers):
- Price Transparency: Attendees will see the full cost of their tickets, including fees, upfront, eliminating any hidden charges and providing a clearer purchasing experience (United States Congresswoman Debbie Lesko).
- Protection from Scams: With the ban on deceptive URLs and speculative ticketing, buyers are better protected from fraudulent practices. Ensure your site doesn't host or link to these types of listings (National Independent Venue Association).
- Refund Policies: Clearly communicate your refund policies for cancellations or postponements, providing peace of mind for buyers who might be wary of purchasing tickets (United States Congresswoman Debbie Lesko).
Evvnt's Features Can Help!
For Event Hosts (Ticket Sellers) |
||
| Considerations | How Evvnt Can Help | |
| Upfront Pricing | When attendees are responsible for paying fees, we display the total price upfront, itemizing all added fees. If the seller is paying the fees then they will see the fees listed next to their revenue payouts from our system. | ✅ This aligns with the requirement to show the total price, ensuring transparency for buyers and sellers when they are paying fees for our services. |
| Clear disclosures | Hosts are responsible for providing accurate disclosures in their event posts. We enable hosts to manage their own ticket sales, which includes being clear about ticket availability and other event details. | ✅ We ensure hosts have the tools to comply with disclosure requirements, while we maintain oversight to prevent any deceptive practices. |
| Refund Policies | Our terms of service currently states that the refund policy is set by the event host, which can be managed in your organization settings. Selecting "No Refunds" may not preclude you from being responsible for providing refunds when requested in the case of a cancellation or postponement. | ❓In the event of a cancellation or postponement, you can use the email broadcast tool to share your plan to handle refund requests. |
For Attendees (Ticket Buyers) |
||
| Considerations | How Evvnt Can Help | |
| Price transparency | We are transparent with buyers regarding the fees they are paying, showing them separately in the subtotal. | ✅ This practice aligns with the requirement for upfront pricing, ensuring buyers know exactly what they are paying for. |
| Protection from scams | Our system includes clear language on all tickets that they are non-transferable. We expect that ticket sales through our platform are sold by the event host, and in some cases exclusively on our site. | ✅ We do not engage in or allow speculative ticket sales on our sites. By enforcing this with our ticket sellers, we protect buyers from fraudulent practices and speculative ticket sales. |
| Refund Policies Communication | Currently, we do not include information about refund policies in the email confirmation or on the tickets. A ticket seller can add this language to their tickets using the "Additional Settings" in your events. | ❓ In the event of a cancellation or postponement, the contact information for the seller is in the email confirmation for tickets. If the seller has not reached out or responded to the buyer in a timely manner after an event is postponed or canceled, then we recommend the buyer reach out to us via tickets@evvnt.com for assistance with an expected refund. |
Get in touch with our support team using the chat function in the bottom left or email support@evvnt.com. We can help if you have questions or concerns about the options you have in our software to ensure you are in compliance as you sell tickets.
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.